Labeling machine for bottles and the like



Aug. 29 1939. H. FRIBERG 2,171,035

LABELING MACHINE FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w 3a jaw w Aug. 29, 1939. H. FRIBERG 2,171,085

LABELING MACHINE FOR-BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. '7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/G. 5. F/G. 6.

Patented Aug. 29, 1939 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Hjalmar Friberg, Stora Essingen, near Stockholm, Sweden Application December 7, 1937, Serial No. 178,595 In Sweden January 31, 1936 7 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for labeling bottles, cans or the like, in which the objects to be labeled are moved, as by a rolling movement, past a labeling mechanism. The invention has for its object to provide a machine of this type which is simple and compact in structure and reliable in operation. The labeling machine according to the invention is. characterized, chiefly, by the fact that the labeling mechanism consists of a label container and a gluing device comprising one or more swinging arms, each carrying a stamp or stamps adapted to be moved by the swinging of the arms into engagement with the outermost label in the container, the surface of said stamp or stamps. facing the labels being perforated by small borings or channels connected, as by tubings or pipes, with a receptacle containing a solution of glue or gum or some other adhesive liquid under pressure so that each Z0 time the arms bring their stamps into contact with a label, a small quantity of the adhesive liquid will be applied thereto.

An embodiment of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan View of the machine, certain parts being shown in section and certain parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on the line'II-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of the labeling mechanism on the line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the device for controlling the gluing arms. Figs, 5 and Gare plan views of the mechanism for feeding and spacing the objects to be labeled.

With reference to the drawings, the numeral l indicates a path onto which the objects to 'be labeled, which may be referred to as bottles in this description, are supplied by means, not shown, in such a way as to be left standing on the path I. On the one side of the path I there are two rigid walls 2 forming a lateral guideway for the bottles which are pressed thereagainst under the action of endless belts 3 moving on the opposite side of the path which are carried by pulleys 3a, some or all of which being driven. The portion of the belts 3 in engagement with the bottles is guided on its side remote from the bottles by rollers 36. In the drawings three bottles are shown, indicated by the numerals 4, 5v and 6,

respectively. The arrows at indicate the direction of movement of the belts 3. As indicated by the arrow b, the bottles are caused to rotate, rolling in contact with the guide walls 2; and are thus fed forward in the direction of the arrow 0.

The belts 3 which may be of any cross section desired, as for instance, circular and hollow, are made from india rubber or a similar material of high elasticity. If desired, they may consist of india. rubber tubings filled with compressed air. Due hereto, the frame supporting the belt driving mechanism need not be resilient in order to be able to yield when bottles of greater diameter pass, as was heretofore necessary.

The bottles rolling forward in the path I are moved past a label container 1. Before reaching the label container, the bottles press a button 8 projecting into the path which acts on a piston 9 loaded by a spring 10. The piston 9 acts as a valve between two pipes l2 and 13. The former leads from a receptacle II, containing a solution of glue or gum, preferably under pressure produced by compressed air or by mounting the receptacle H on a high level. Each time a bottle passes the button 8 and presses same, a few drops of the adhesive solution are fed from the receptacle I l byway of pipe I2 into pipe-l3. From pipe IS the solution flows into a hollow shaft l4 rotatably mounted in the machine frame. Said shaft I 4 carries two angularly bent hollow arms. 15 each carrying a stamp l6 on its upper face. As will be best seen from Fig. 3, the arms l5 may be swung upwards to bring their stamps into engagement with the outermost one of the labels I! in the label container which are standing transversely therein. From the shaft I4 the adhesive solution flows through the channels of the arms [5 and out through the borings I 8 of the stamps to be then spread onto the exposed rear surface of the outermost label when the stamps "5 are brought into contact therewith.

As a bottle rolls past the label thus coated with the adhesive solution, the latter will stick to the bottle which then continues its way through path I. In doing so, the labeled bottle-passes a button 19 projecting into the path. Said button I9 is carried by a lever 20 (see especially Figs. 3 and 4) mounted to swing about the shaft 2 l. The button I9'when passed by the bottle is pressed inwardly, thereby causing the lever 20 to swing in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4. When thus swung, the lever engages a lateral projection 22 of shaft l4 and rotates same together with the arms l5, thereby moving the latter from their lowermost or normal position in Fig. 3 to their uppermost position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereby their stamps I6 are brought into contact, with the outermost label and apply a coating of the adhesive solution thereon.

It-is thus seen that each bottle, by pressing the button 8, controls the supply of a quantity of an adhesive solution sufficient to coat a label and, by pressing the button I9, controls the applying of said quantity to the label.

The pile of labels IT in the container I is fed through said container under the pressure of a partition 23 slidably mounted in the container which engages the rear end of the pile and is operated by or rigidly connected to a carriage 24 moving on wheels in the longitudinal direction of the label container. The carriage 2 3 is forced towards the pile of labels by a weight 25 suspended by a Wire 21 connected to the carriag and guided by a roller 26.

In order to prevent the labels from being unintentionally discharged at the open end of the container I, the side walls of the container are bent oppositely to the direction of movement of the bottles, as shown in Fig. 1. The remote wall, as seen from the inlet end of the path I, counteracts such a discharge on account of its bending; at the nearest wall, however, additional means must be provided. Said means comprises, in the embodiment shown, a suction pipe 28 opening at the fore edge of said nearest side wall. The pipe 28 may be connected to a suction fan or some other vacuum producer.

As a bottle rolls into contact with a label, the latter sticks to the bottle, as already stated, and is carried away by the bottle against the suction in the pipe 28. Said suction, however, is strong enough to retain the remaining labels in the container.

It is of importance to adjust the space be tween the bottles passing past the label container in order that the gluing arms I may be positively prevented from swinging up against the labels while a bottle is just passing by the label container. To this end there is provided a spacing device in connection with the feeding path I leading to the labeling device. This spacing device comprises, as is best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a bell crank lever journalled at 33 which comprises a shorter stop arm (H and a longer control arm 32. In Fig. 5 the control arm 32 is held in a position parallel to the path I by the action of a bottle 6 rolling along the arm 32, while the stop arm 3I projects into the path, so as to prevent the bottle 5 from entering the path under the pressure of the succeeding bottle 4 which is supplied from a belt conveyer or the like, not shown. Only after the bottle 6 has passed beyond the extreme end of the arm 32, the bell crank lever 3!, 32 is released, allowing the bottle 5 to force the arm 3| aside and enter the path I under the action of the belt 3. At the same time the control arm 32 is swung into the path, as shown in Fig. 6. According as the bottle 5 leaves the arm 3! and comes into contact with the arm 32, the latter is moved into the position shown in Fig. 5, causing the arm 3I to project into the path in order to check the bottle 4.

Due to the often high pressure, by which the bottles are fed to the path I, it may happen that the transfer of the bottle from arm 3! to arm 32, as above described, is not rapid enough to cause the arm 3I to check the succeeding bottle, that is to say, in the example described, the bottle 4. This may give rise to blocking of the path and interruption of operation. In order to avoid this drawback an additional stop lever 33 is provided pivoted at 34 and connected by a link 35 to the stop arm 3|. The operation of this additional stop lever is best seen from Fig. 6. In this figure, the bell crank lever 3I, 32 has just been released by the bottle 6 and operated by the bottle 5 to allow the latter to enter the path I. At the same time that the lever 3I, 32 was swung in this way, the lever 33 was moved into the path so as to check the bottle 4. Only after the bottle 5 has entered the path sufficiently to force the arm 32 to the side of the path, the arm 33 releases the bottle 4 and is retracted to the position shown in Fig. 5. The bottle 4 can now move further towards the path I, but only until it is checked by the stop arm M. Then the cycle described is repeated. It is thus seen that by the spacing device described the bottles are allowed to enter the path I, that is to say, to pass by the label container at regular distances corresponding to the length of the arm 32.

Certain modifications of the devices described may be made without departing from the principle of the invention. Thus, for instance, the

path for feeding the bottles may be provided with two or more belt oonveyers or the like in series so arranged that the conveyer or oonveyers situated ahead of the labeling mechanism. exposes the surface of the bottle adapted to receive the label, whereas the conveyer situated behind the labeling mechanism engages the label to press it against the bottle.

Due to the fact that the bottles themselves control the operation of the means for supplying the adhesive solution and applying it to the labels, the advantage is obtained that the movement of said means will be properly suited to the movement of the bottles through the feeding path, even if the bottle should be supplied to said path at varying intervals. The borings of the arms I5 and the pipe it may be replaced by tubings controlled by the valve 9. The arms I5 of the machine shown apply the adhesive solution substantially to two opposite edges of the label, but, of course, also the central portion of the label or the whole surface thereof may be coated with an adhesive solution. The bottles may be rolled in an upright position, as shown, or in a horizontal or inclined position through the feeding path.

Amongst further modifications that may be made it should be mentioned that the control arm 32 which determines the spacing of the bottles may be of adjustable length, as for instance by a telescopic construction.

What I claim is:

1. A machine of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a label container, means including swinging arms having perforations and channels through which to apply an adhesive agent under pressure to the outermost label in said container, and means to move an object to be labeled past said container in contact with said outermost label subsequent to the applying of the adhesive agent thereto. 7

2. A machine of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a. label container, means including swinging arms to apply an adhesive agent to the outermost label in said container, stamping surfaces on said arms perforated by channels, a receptacle to contain a liquid adhesive agent under pressure, connections between said receptacle and said channels, driving means to move said arms in order to bring the stamping surfaces thereof into engagement with said outermost label, and means to move an object to be labeled past said label container'in contact with said outermost label subsequent to said movement of the arms.

3. A machine of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a label container, means MM cl providing a path for the objects to be labeled extending past the delivery end of said container, means to feed said objects through said path, an oscillating shaft extending parallel with said path, arms on said shaft so arranged as to be caused to swing towards the delivery end of the label container by oscillating said shaft, stamping surfaces on said arms arranged to come into contact with the outermost label in said container by said oscillation, channels in said stamp-- ing surfaces, a receptacle to contain a liquid adhesive agent under pressure, connections between said receptacle and said channels, and means to oscillate said shaft under the control of the objects moving through the path.

4. A machine of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a label container, means providing a path for the objects to be labeled, said path extending past the delivery end of said container, a belt conveyer to feed the objects by a rolling movement through the path in contact with the outermost label in the container, a hollow shaft extending parallel with said path, means to oscillate said shaft under the control of the objects passing through the path, arms so arranged on said shaft as to swing towards the delivery end of the label container by an oscillation of the shaft, stamping surfaces on said arms adapted to be brought into contact with the outermost label in the container as a result of said swinging movement, said surfaces and arms having channels communicating with the boring of the hollow shaft, a receptacle to contain a liquid adhesive agent under pressure, and a connection between said receptacle and the boring of the hollow shaft.

5. A machine of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a label container, means providing a path for the objects to be labeled, said path extending past the delivery end of said container, a belt conveyer to feed the objects by a rolling movement through the path in contact with the outermost label in the container, a hollow shaft extending parallel with said path, means to oscillate said shaft under the control of the objects passing through the path, arms so arranged on said shaft as to swing towards the delivery end of the label container by an oscillation of the shaft, stamping surfaces on said arms adapted to be brought into contact with the outermost label in the container as a result of said swinging movement, said surfaces and arms having channels communicating with the boring of the hollow shaft, a receptacle to contain a liquid adhesive agent under pressure, a connection between said receptacle and the boring of the hollow shaft, a valve in said connection, and means to operate said valve under the control of the objects passing through the path.

6. A machine of the character set forth comprising, in combination, means providing a path for the objects to be labeled, a label container on one side of said path, a belt conveyer on the oppositeside of the path to feed the objects through the path past the delivery end of the label container in contact with the outermost label therein, the side walls of said label container at the delivery end thereof being bent towards the infeed end of the path of the objects, means including swinging arms to apply an adhesive agent to each label before its transfer to an object, means to operate said arms under the control of the objects passing through the path, and. a suction pipe opening at that edge of the delivery end of the label container where the objects to be labeled come into contact with the outermost label in the container.

7 A machine of the character set forth comprising, in combination, means providing a feeding path for the objects to be labeled, a label container on the one side of said path, means to move the objects through the path past said label container, means to apply an adhesive agent to the outermost label in said container before its transfer to an object to be labeled, a bell crank spacing lever having a longer control arm to be engaged by an object passing through the feeding path and a shorter stop arm to check the succeeding object as long as the control arm is engaged by the preceding object, and an additional stop lever connected to said bell crank lever for checking a succeeding object during the transfer of the preceding object from the stop arm to the control arm of the spacing lever.

HJALMAR FRIBERG. 

